4 ways to embody patriotism in the small, everyday moments

SALT LAKE CITY — What if patriotism wasn't only reserved for the deep, stirring thoughts or grand, noble acts? What if we could demonstrate and embody patriotism in small, everyday ways?

KSL Contributor Heather Johnson said we can, and do, through everyday service and sacrifice.

"Most patriotic acts don't happen on a big stage, they happen quietly at home," she said.

Johnson emphasized that patriotism isn't reserved for special occasions. It's built through everyday choices, small sacrifices and simple acts of service that teach kids to put something bigger than themselves first.

Model healthy sacrifice

Johnson emphasized that patriotism begins long before children understand concepts like citizenship or civic responsibility.

"It is the small daily sacrifices that we make at home that create our devotion to God, our devotion to family and our devotion to a country," she said.

Those sacrifices often look ordinary and come up in the every day.

"It is our ability to choose kindness over comfort," Johnson explained. "It is an ability to choose what's true instead of over what's easy. It's this ability to choose service over selfishness."

These everyday decisions may seem small and insignificant, but they lay the foundation for something larger. Johnson believes sacrifice is one of the most important values parents can teach because of what it communicates.

"Sacrifice teaches us that what we sacrificed for is more important than our comfort," she explained.

That lesson prepares kids for adulthood by helping them understand commitment, service and responsibility.

"Sacrifice leads to devotion," Johnson emphasized. "Devoted kids grow up to be adults who are committed, who serve, who love."

Sacrifice is important, but she said parents should be careful about how they model it. One common mistake is letting sacrifice become self-neglect. Johnson gave the example where parents consistently go without while everyone else gets what they need. True sacrifice should inspire service, not self-erasure.

"That's an unhealthy portrayal of what sacrifice looks like," she said. "Healthy sacrifice leads to devotion. Unhealthy sacrifice leads to our kids growing up to feel like they're not good enough to deserve anything."

Another trap parents can fall into is trying to teach gratitude through guilt. Johnson said to avoid saying things like, "Do you know how hard your dad works?" or, "Do you know how late I stayed up last night to make sure that you had this?" The intention may be good, but she said the outcome isn't.

"Guilt-tripping our kids in the name of sacrifice will not teach them or encourage them to want to sacrifice," Johnson explained. "Guilt leads to then this sense of paralysis or not being enough."

Instead of fostering gratitude, it can produce shame.

Build a family culture of contribution

Johnson encouraged parents to focus on what kids are giving rather than what they are giving up.

"We help them understand that it isn't chores and it isn't jobs, but it's actually contributions that we make," she said.

This shift changes the entire conversation. When children see themselves as active contributors to the family, they develop a stronger sense of purpose and belonging.

"Parents think that kids thrive when they win," Johnson explained. "Kids thrive when they contribute, not when they win."

One way to build this mindset is by changing how parents talk about service. Instead of focusing what a child gave up, Johnson recommended emphasizing the positive impact that sacrifice had on others. This focuses attention on the contribution rather than the loss.

"Thanks for helping your sister feel included," she suggested. "We wanna speak to the contribution instead of speaking to what they had to give up."

Over time, children begin associating sacrifice with helping others rather than missing out.

Encourage "Share your Strength" moments

Johnson also encouraged parents to look for opportunities that line up with a child's natural abilities.

"Look at the spaces where your kids are already strong and let them share those," she said. "If you have a child who's nurturing, let them do the comforting. If you have a child who's energetic, give them the job to go get the groceries."

When contribution coms from a child's strengths, service feels meaningful to them rather than draining.

Emphasize "Giving the Better Piece"

One of Johnson's favorite examples of everyday sacrifice is surprisingly simple. Every parent knows the scenario: "You can have a cookie, but share it with your sister." The lesson comes in what happens next. When kids are invited to offer the larger portion to someone else, they're practicing generosity in a tangible way.

"It's inviting them to give the bigger half to their sister," Johnson explained. "It's literally inviting them to give up the better piece."

The same principle applies in other situations like sharing time, taking turns or making small accommodations for someone else's needs.

The Small Things Matter Most

Parents don't need dramatic opportunities to teach patriotism, sacrifice or devotion.

"This sacrifice happens every day, teeny tiny ways," Johnson emphasized.

Those moments around the kitchen table, in the car, between siblings and throughout daily family life are where character is built. Those small sacrifices become something much bigger over time.

"That contribution from sacrifice leads to devotion," she explained. "And that devotion leads our kids to walk out of our front door and be committed to their country, committed to their family, committed to the community around them."

This story was adapted from a TV broadcast script using artificial intelligence. Every story, including those adapted with AI, is reviewed by a human editor before publication to ensure that KSL's editorial standards are upheld.